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We hope you find all the information about our Terms & Conditions at Hostelling International here, otherwise please visit our FAQs.

HI Terms and Conditions for Transactions

This document sets out the terms and conditions for any transactions or exchanges of information made via websites which are operated by Hostelling International. It applies to those customers who choose to take such actions and is additional to the Website Terms of Use which apply to all.

BOOKINGS

The role of Hostelling International (“HI”) is to help you find the right hostel and to help both you and the hostel enter into a legal contract that governs your stay.

If you choose to book, your contract is with the hostel (or National Youth Hostel Association (“Association”) who runs the hostel), not HI.

HI's duties are to accurately display the prices supplied by the hostel, make you aware of their terms and conditions and ensure your booking is confirmed with them. Our role is that of an intermediary.

We collect a non-refundable deposit payment on behalf of the hostel at the time you confirm your booking.

We are happy to handle any issues related to our role in showing the prices, terms and conditions and making the bookings. If you have any issues regarding the contract covering your stay or your stay itself, these should be addressed with the hostel (or Association that runs the hostel).

You will need to pay your balance to the hostel (or Association that runs the hostel) and this will typically be due on arriving at the hostel for your check-in.

If you are trying to book for a group of 10+ people, please use our system to send a group enquiry to the hostel rather than making multiple individual bookings. Hostels may refuse multiple individual bookings that make up a large group.

BOOKING CANCELLATIONS

As your contract is directly between you and the hostel (or Association who runs the hostel), it is essential that they (rather than us) are aware if you would like to cancel. Your cancellation options are:

if you created an account then we offer an online service to transmit the cancellation to the hostel. In the case of using the online service we provide, HI accepts that its role is to correctly transmit your cancellation requests and will of course take responsibility if the hostel does not receive that cancellation request for any reason under our control.

If you did not create an account, contact the hostel directly via phone or email (see the hostel’s page or confirmation email for contact details)

It is our responsibility to ensure you are aware of the terms and conditions of cancellation although these are set by the hostel or Association. You are required to review these terms before booking and we also send you a copy with your confirmation email.

LATE CANCELLATIONS OR NO SHOWS ON BOOKINGS

When you book, you agree to a contract which protects the hostel from being left with empty beds which they may not have time to re-sell. If you cancel too close to the agreed check-in date (“late cancellation”) or fail to arrive for your booking (“no show”), the hostel may ask us to act on their behalf to collect the late cancellation charge or the no show charge. In such a case, we will collect the relevant charge and remit that amount to the hostel (or Association that runs the hostel).

We would always recommend you purchase travel insurance and in the event that you are unable to travel, claim against that policy.

REFUNDS AND CHARGEBACKS ON BOOKINGS

If you have stayed and want to request a refund then please address this request to the hostel or Association that runs the hostel. If you have been charged a late cancellation or no show and believe it has been unfairly applied, please address this with the hostel.

The deposits we collect on behalf of the hostels are non-refundable therefore no refunds are available.

If you believe that we have failed to display the correct prices, failed to show terms & conditions, or failed to confirm your booking to the hostel, please approach us directly.

If you have not been delivered the services as described in your contract with the hostel then you will need to address that with the hostel (or Association that runs the hostel).

MEMBERSHIP

You can become a member of an Association by purchasing membership through HI. You will typically join the Association which operates in your country of residence. If there is no Association in your country of residence you can choose to purchase a membership which is supplied by HI.

HI's role is to show you correct prices and make your information available to the Association you choose to join. Before you decide to become a member, we display terms and conditions set by the Association. HI will charge you for the membership and then remit those funds (less a commission) to the National Association you join. We send digital membership cards rather than physical cards but the digital version entitles you to the same benefits whilst being more modern and better for the environment.

For Associations where membership is compulsory, you will need a membership to stay. For Associations where membership is optional, you will receive a 10% discount (or equivalent) on the rate charged to non-members.

GROUP ENQUIRIES

For groups of 10+ people, we offer a service to transmit your enquiry to a hostel and for you to receive a response and if appropriate, a quote for your required stay and any additional services.

The role of HI in this process is to accurately pass your enquiry and any communications between you and the hostel (or Association who runs the hostel). If the hostel or Association can meet your needs they will send you an official quote via our systems and a request for payment to secure your booking. From this point onwards, you can work directly with the hostel (or Association who runs the hostel) to refine any of the details related to your stay.

USER ACCOUNTS

You can choose whether to use our services as a guest or to setup a user account. Setting up an account helps you to make transactions quicker in future as it minimizes the information you are required to provide in order to make the transaction.

You can optionally store a payment card securely in order to make payment quicker too.

If you choose to set up an account, it is important to note our Privacy Policy

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

You will be given the option to receive promotional marketing communication from HI. If you opt to receive communications from HI, it will only ever be from HI as we do not pass your details to 3rd parties for marketing purposes.

You can opt out of marketing communication at any time. To do so, either login to your account and alter the settings within the ‘profile’ section or alternatively click ‘unsubscribe’ in the footer of one of our marketing emails.

REVIEWS

You may be given the option to review your booking experience on hihostels.com and also your experience of your hostel stay.

For reviews of hostel stays, we aggregate your feedback into a collective score for the hostel and make your comments available to the hostel and on our website. For reviews of your booking experience we use a 3rd party which operates under their own terms and conditions.